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Public Gaming
Mrs. Verónica Montellano
President of Polla Chilena de Beneficencia
The Cibelae and World-Meet Conference will be held in the magnificent city of
Santiago, Chile on October 26, 27, and 28 (www.wla2009.com). Mrs. Montellano
is one of the hosts of this conference and has agreed to share her views
about how the industry operates in Chile and what Polla Chilena de Beneficencia
is doing to adapt to the needs of a changing marketplace.
In many ways, the issues driving the South American markets are similar to other
regions. The vital role that legislators play in the formulation of public policy, the
importance of eradicating illegal gaming markets, controlling internet gaming, and the competition
that threatens to impinge upon the funds that lotteries contribute to good causes … these
are among the issues that lottery operators from all around the world are facing. Opportunities to
implement new technologies, new games, and new strategies also abound and leaders like Mrs.
Montellano are moving forward with ambitious agendas to convert this rich potential into reality.
(This interview is continued online. Please go to www.publicgaming.com to see this interview in its entirety.)
Public Gaming: Please tell us about Polla
Chilena. Who is the beneficiary and what
products do you sell?
Verónica Montellano: When we talk
about the beneficiaries and the amount received
by each one of them, these are very
strict issues defined by legislative instances,
meaning that any change in institutions and
the percentage of contributions received is
the product of a long process. This process
is resolved in the parliamentary framework,
without the intervention of Lottery itself.
In this way, the company should deliver
and distribute 5% of the net sales (equivalent
to 4.35 of the gross sales) of its products of
Polla Boleto and Scratch Tickets. These funds
are distributed to eleven beneficiaries, all of
which have a high social non-profit mission.
Moreover, the 15% of net sales for the Lotto
games, Revancha, Polla 4 and Toto 3; and
the 12% of the gross sales of Xperto and Polla
Gol, all directly benefit the National Institute
of Sport (government agency that promotes
the national sport).
Each of these results is directly related to
our players preferences given day by day. One
of the most significant aspects of Polla Chilena
de Beneficencia S.A. is that the relevant
contribution to the National Treasury of the
country and the payment of taxes results in a
direct benefit to the Chilean people.
The graph on page 26 shows the percentage
assigned by law to the Instituto Nacional
del Deporte and the contribution they received
in 2008 (Source: Deputy Management
for Management Control and Studies, Polla
Chilena de Beneficencia S.A. Figures are based
on nominal pesos).
Could you describe the performance of the
different products as a percentage of total sales?
V. Montellano: The main gambling market
is still “Lotto,” since consumer preferences
are highly concentrated in “large pool” games.
Studies also show that there is significant interest
in immediate resolution products; for
this reason, we are intensifying our strategies
related to the “scratch 2 cash” instant product
portfolio, thus servicing the different market
segments. Lastly, a potential interest has been
detected in sports events forecasts, specifically,
football (or soccer), especially in view of the
upcoming 2010 World Cup to be held in South
Africa.
Contributions in
2008 to the Instituteo
Nacional del Deporte
458
171
737
185
11.833
Loto (15%)
Polla Gol (12%)
Xperto (12%)
What do you mean by “sports events forecasts?”
Is that sports wagering or what exactly? What do
you see as the possible gaming initiatives you might
implement that tie in with sporting events?
…continued on page 26
Toto 3 (15%)
Polla 4 (15%)
Public Gaming International • September 2009 12